Homily for Monday of the 5th Week of Easter
You may have noticed over the last few days that we have started to hear more about the Holy Spirit in our readings during Daily Mass. That has been intentional. As we are getting closer to the celebration of Pentecost, it is good to be reminded of the presence of the Holy Spirit, not only in our lives but also in the life of the Church.
For those in the early Church, it is only the power of the Holy Spirit that has caused all the things that we have heard about in the Acts of the Apostles. The Holy Spirit is the One responsible for giving the Apostles the courage to go out and preach the Gospel, to not be afraid to tell others about Jesus. He is the One that allowed the miraculous healings that we have heard about being done by the hands of Peter, Paul, and others. He is the One who brought Paul to a moment of conversion, who inspired and taught him to become the greatest evangelizer the Church has ever known. And it is the Holy Spirit who continues to be active in the Church today.
Everything we do in the Church – from the ministry and service that we provide to others, to the healings that take place in the Sacraments, to the transformation of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus – none of it would be possible without the presence and the activity of the Holy Spirit. In the days leading up to Pentecost, it’s good to be reminded of that.
So today, let’s ask the Holy Spirit to help us be more mindful of how He is working in our lives, how He is playing an active role in our journey of faith, how He is leading us closer to the heart of Jesus. And let’s also ask for an awakening of the gifts of the Spirit in our lives, that we may be those courageous witnesses to go out and lead others to an encounter with the Risen Lord.
Photo: Ashish Thakur; Used under the Unsplash license.
Fr. Tom Pringle 